Finance
Indian Premier League: In Monday’s Match 14 of the IPL 2024 at the Wankhede Stadium, Riyan Parag blasted two consecutive half-centuries as the Rajasthan Royals crushed the Mumbai Indians by six wickets with 27 balls remaining.
In a match dominated by the bowlers, Parag struck the lone fifty, his composed knock coming off 38 balls as he ended the match with a flurry of shots, two sixes and a four off Gerald Coetzee to seal the third victory for Rajasthan Royals, taking them to the top of the IPL table with six points.
The Rajasthan Royals rallied from 48/3 to 127/4 thanks to five fours, three sixes, and a 40-run partnership between Parag and Ravichandran Ashwin for the fourth wicket. Their bowlers, Trent Boult (3-22) and Yuzvendra Chahal (3-11), helped them limit the Mumbai Indians to 125/9 in 20 overs, which paved the way for victory. After captain Sanju Samson won the toss and decided to field first on a pitch that originally produced seam movement but eased out in the second innings, Nandre Burger claimed 2-32 to help the RR cause.
Yashasvi Jaiswal struck the 17-year-old South African pacer Kwena Maphaka to back-to-back boundaries off the fourth and fifth deliveries of the opening over, carving it squarely on the off over point from a full-length delivery and following it by clearing the infield on the leg-side when the pacer pitched it short.
But the young South African had his revenge on the next delivery, as a full-length delivery outside off shaped away and Jaiswal lobbed it straight to Tim David at cover. Maphaka claimed his first IPL wicket in his second match after going wicketless for 66 against SRH in Hyderabad. RR were 10/1.
Skipper Sanju Samson lashed a widish delivery from Maphaka through point for a boundary and then enjoyed the same result off the next delivery, as the bowler offered more width. But Samson was out soon, castled by Akash Madhwal as he chopped onto his stumps, attempting a cut without any foot movement.
And the Rajasthan Royals were in danger at 48/3 in the 7th over when Jos Buttler, who was bothered by Jasprit Bumrah despite being struck for a boundary, was out for 13. Piyush Chawla caught Buttler as he pulled Akash Madhwal flat and straight to fine leg.
But Ravichandran Ashwin and Riyan Parag’s 40-run partnership off 35 balls for the fourth wicket put them ahead and set them up for victory. Ashwin scored 16 runs off of just 16 balls, striking a four, to keep the Rajasthan Royals on track while Parag lost steam. As RR worked to solidify their position, it went slowly. With a quick one outside off, Madhwal took Ashwin’s third wicket. Ashwin tried to turn it into a leg but Tilak edged it instead.
Parag ramped Gerald Coetzee to the boundary and followed it up with another boundary off the next delivery. A boundary each off Coetzee and Bumrah helped him keep RR’s hopes alive. They reached 100/4 in the 14th over.
With 25 needed off 36 balls, Parag slogged Piyush Chawal over cow corner for his first six and in the next over carved Coetzee over cover for six and followed it up with a pull-over midwicket to complete his back-to-back fifties.
With a top-edge off a short pass from Coetzee, which went over the keeper’s head and onto the boundary, he secured the win for the Rajasthan Royals. As he assisted the Rajasthan Royals in their third straight win, Parag maintained his undefeated record at 54. They also made IPL 2024 history by becoming the second side, behind KKR, to win an away game.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 125/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 34, Tilak Varma 32; Yuzvendra Chahal 3-11, Trent Boult 3-22, Nandre Burger 2-32) lost to Rajasthan Royals 127/4 in 15.3 overs (Riyan Parag 54 not out; Akash Madhwal 3-20) by six wickets.
Source:IANS
